The present invention is in the field of noise and vibration control. More specifically this invention relates to an apparatus for isolating the structureborne vibration, and therefore the noise transferred from one part of a building to another.
In many building applications, furring channels are used to attach one part of a building structure, for example wallboard or other sheet material, to another part of the building structure. Noise, transmitted structurally as vibration, is often transmitted from one part of the building to another through the furring channel connection points.
Previously, furring channel mounting brackets were coated with a vibration absorbing material to reduce the noise transmitted through these mounting points. Although this does reduce the noise somewhat, these coated mounting brackets are expensive to manufacture.
Another existing method for reducing this noise is an acoustic mount, U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,347 by Ryan et al. This acoustic mount consists of a metal clip, a metal bushing, and a sound absorbing insert. The metal clip is clipped onto the furring channel; the sound absorbing insert is threaded into the metal clip; and the bushing passes through the sound absorbing insert. In this acoustic mount the connecting means is then passed through the bushing into the mounting surface, thus isolating the furring channel from the mounting surface. This configuration has metal to metal contact (metal clip against metal channel), and is not optimally dampened or isolated.
A vibration isolating mount is desired which would more effectively isolate noise and vibration from one part of a building to an adjoining part of the building. This mount should be economical to produce, and easy to install.